Gentle fitness - Week 7
Small Space Resistance Band Workout
Getting fit while at home might seem challenging but it is easier than you think. Many of us have some common fitness equipment around our house that we can use to keep ourselves fit and strong. Check out our fitness tips, weekly workouts and of course our video to help give you some @home ideas.
Tips on how to use equipment at home
Working out at home with fitness equipment is a convenient way to increase your fitness levels. Some common pieces of fitness equipment that you can include in your home workout is:
- Chair
- Tubing or Theraband - light to medium resistance
- Free weights - 2lb to 10lb
- Foam roller
If you do not have some of the home equipment suggested, you can incorporate other household items such as:
- Tennis ball - used for rolling out your back, feet and glutes
- Chair - to use for stability
- Soup cans or water bottles (for gentle) - to use as dumbbells
- Light dumbbells or ankle weights
Tubing and free weight workout: When using tubing, please anchor your tubing to a stable piece of furniture or pole to perform the tubing chest press and back rows. Please do these exercises from a chair.
Examples of activities: (check the weekly workouts for more ideas)
- Need some rolling… roll out your feet with a tennis ball
- Want to strengthen your arms… try bicep curls or shoulder presses with soup cans
- Need some hip strengthening… balance on one leg using a chair for support
- Do sit to stands by pushing off of the chair using your body weight
- Want to strengthen your legs… take the stairs using the handrail one or two more times during your day
- Need to strengthen your back, do seated bent over rows using light dumbbells
It is important to ensure that you are breathing throughout your exercise session. Use the following tips to help make your workout safe and successful.
1. Breathe:
- Breathe in during the easiest part of the exercise.
- Breathe out during the hardest part of the exercise.
- Do not hold your breath and ensure that you are breathing throughout the exercise session.
2. Core Engagement and Proper Posture:
- Focus on engaging your core by standing or sitting tall and engage the abdominal muscles.
- Keep your shoulders pulled down and your shoulder blades pulled back to open the chest.
- Keep your abdominal muscles engage throughout the exercises.
3. Pay attention to your body:
- Listen to your body through the movements.
- Ask yourself: How does it feel? Does one side feel different than the other?
- Thinking about and listening to our bodies may give us an indication of our imbalances, strengths and areas that we need to improve on.
- You should not feel pain when performing exercises, if you do, reassess your posture and technique to ensure that you are doing the exercises correctly.
A note about safety
There is risk of injury when participating in exercise, physical fitness and physical training programs. If you have any concerns or questions about whether or not you should participate in exercise activities demonstrated on this website or videos offered on this website, you should consult with a physician or other health-care professional before starting any exercises.
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BY PARTICIPATING IN EXERCISE ACTIVITIES FEATURED OR VIDEOS OFFERED ON THIS WEBSITE, YOU DO SO FREELY AND VOLUNATARILY AND ASSUME ALL OF THE RISKS AND HAZARDS OF PARTICIPATION, INCLUDING THE LEGAL RISK. THE CITY OF CALGARY DISCLAIMS ANY LIABILITY FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES AND ASSUMES NO LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY LOSS, PERSONAL INJURY (INCLUDING DEATH) OR DAMAGE (INCLUDING PROPERTY DAMAGE) SUFFERED BY ANY PERSON AS A RESULT OF THE USE OR MISUSE OF ANY INFORMATION, THIS WEBSITE AND VIDEOS MADE AVAILABLE ON THIS WEBSITE.
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1. Resistance Band - Row
2-3 sets, 12 reps
How to Row with a Resistance Band
Wrap the resistance band around a secured anchor and hold each end with your hands.
Step back to ensure there is tension on the band.
Keep your elbows close to your body.
With your shoulders down and back, exhale while pulling your arms back and squeezing your shoulder blades together.
Slowly return to the initial position and repeat 12 times.
2. Resistance Band - Seated Row
2-3 sets, 12 reps
How to do a seated Row with Resistance bands
While seated, wrap the resistance band around a secured anchor and hold each end with your hands.
Ensure there is tension on the band.
Keep your elbows close to your body.
With your shoulders down and back, exhale while pulling your arms back and squeezing your shoulder blades together.
Slowly return to the initial position and repeat 12 times.
3. Resistance Band - Chest Press
2-3 sets, 12 reps
How to do a Chest Press with Resistance Bands
Wrap the resistance band around a secured anchor behind you.
Hold each end with your hands at shoulder height (facing away from the anchor point)
Take a step forward (staggered stance) to ensure you have balance.
Exhale while pressing both hands forward together, performing a chest press.
Slowly return to the initial position and repeat 12 times.
4. Resistance Band - Seated Chest Press
2-3 sets, 12 reps
How to do a Seated Chest Press with Resistance Bands
Wrap the resistance band around a secured anchor behind you.
While seated, hold each end with your hands at shoulder height (facing away from the anchor point).
Exhale while pressing both hands forward together, performing a chest press.
Slowly return to the initial position and repeat 12 times.
5. Resistance Band - Bicep Curl
2-3 sets, 12 reps
How to do a Bicep Curl with Resistance Bands
While standing, place your feet on the centre of the resistance band holding both ends in your hands.
Stand with your knees slightly bent and hands at your side, palms facing up.
Keep your back straight and core tight.
Exhale and pull the band towards your shoulders by bending your elbows, keeping the palms up, and wrists straight.
Slowly return to the initial position and repeat 12 times.
6. Resistance Band - Seated Bicep Curl
2-3 sets, 12 reps
How to do a Seated Bicep Curl with Resistance Bands
While seated, place feet on the centre of the resistance band holding both ends in your hands.
Keep your hands at your side, palms facing up.
Keep your back straight and core tight.
Exhale and pull the band towards your shoulders by bending your elbows, keeping the palms up, and wrists straight.
Slowly return to the initial position and repeat 12 times.
7. Resistance Band - Tricep Extension
2-3 sets, 12 reps
How to do a Tricep Extension with Resistance Bands
This exercise can be performed sitting or standing.
Take the resistance band with one hand and hold it at shoulder height.
Keep your elbow close to your body.
With the opposite hand, grab the band and exhale while extending your arm towards the floor and ensure to keep your upper body straight.
Once the arm is straight, slowly return back to the initial position and repeat 12 times on one side and then switch to the other arm.
8. Resistance Band - Monster Walk
2-3 sets, 12 reps
How to do a Monster Walk with Resistance Bands
Stand on the centre of the resistance band while crossing the handles, holding both ends in your hands
.Stand shoulder width apart with your knees slightly bent.
Keep your back straight and core tight.
Take a big step to the side in one direction, and slowly returning to the starting position and repeat on the other side.
Repeat this exercise 12 times (6 per side).
9. Resistance Band - Seated Hip Abduction
2-3 sets, 12 reps
How to do a Seated Hip Abduction with Resistance Bands
While seated, wrap the band around your thighs and cross the handles, to ensure the band is snug, keep holding the band tight.
Keep your back straight and core tight.
Take a big step to the side in one direction, and slowly returning to the starting position and repeating on the other side.
Repeat this exercise 12 times (6 per side).
10. Resistance Band - Squat and Row
2-3 sets, 12 reps
How to do a Squat and Row with Resistance Bands
Wrap the resistance band around a secured anchor and hold each end with your hands.
Step back to ensure there is tension on the band, while keeping your feet hip width apart.
Squat down, pushing your buttocks back and keeping your knees behind your toes.
Return to standing position with your shoulders down and back, exhale while pulling your arms back and squeezing your should blades together.
Slowly return to the initial position and repeat 12 times.
11. Resistance Band - Alternate Lunge to Chest Press
2-3 sets, 12 reps
How to do an Alternate Lunge to Chest Press with Resistance Bands
Wrap the resistance band around a secured anchor behind you.
Hold each end with your hands at shoulder height (facing away from the anchor point).
Lunge forward, keeping your front knee behind your toe, and your back knee pointed down towards the ground.
Hold the lunge and exhale while pressing both hands forward together, performing a chest press.
Slowly step back and return to the initial position and lunge forward with the other leg.
Repeat 12 times (6 times per side).